Surprise Marriage Proposal – American University Commencement

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Although the Golden Globes, Oscars and Emmy’s bring out the crème de la crème of celebrities and fashionistas alike, no other event can quite compare to the annual Met Gala.  The Met Gala brings out everyone from actors and actresses, athletes, singers and politicians and truly allows them to let their fashionable flags fly.  Last night, the world of fashion descended onto the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC to celebrate the Costume Institute’s new exhibition, “Impossible Conversations,” which is a collaboration between Prada and Elsa Schiaparelli.

One of the most popular trends that was seen on the red carpet at last night’s festivities was the ever plunging V neckline.  Although the showcasing cleavage is nothing new in the world of fashion, last night the ladies brought the look to an all time high.  Glee’s Lea Michele wore a Diane von Furstenberg navy gown that she paired with a Lorraine Schwartz bracelet and pair of earrings.  Michele finished her look with a Lorraine Schwartz tassle necklace that further accented the plunging neckline of the dress.  Also going the way of the plunging V neckline was the soon-to-be Mrs. Timberlake.  Jessica Biel wore a tea-length natural colored Prada dress that was accented with green floral embellishments.  Although Biel adorned $2 million of Lorraine Schwartz jewelry, including a pair of earrings, her best accessories of the night were her diamond engagement ring and her handsome escort.

Courtesy of People.com - FilmMagic, Getty, BEImages

No red carpet would be complete without a few shimmering sequins and last night was no exception.  One of the other fashion trends last night was head-to-toe gold sequins.  Newlywed Carrie Mulligan chose a Prada silver and gold sequin halter that she paired with Neil Lane diamond earrings and her ever-present engagement ring.  Also looking like a gold statuette was actress, Jessica Paré.  The Mad Men star wore a gold sequin L’Wren Scott gown that she paired with a black Christian Louboutin clutch and Tiffany & Co. earrings.  Jessica Alba looked like a golden Greek goddess with her one-shoulder Michael Kors gown that she finished with a Wilfredo Rosado bracelet, cocktail ring and drop earrings.  With so many great fashions seen last night, it will be easy to get through the Spring and Summer to prepare for the Fall award season.  Tell us, who was your favorite on the Met Gala red carpet last night?

Be sure to check the Ritani Facebook page for updates on any upcoming Ritani Diamond Dashes!

Martina McBride sure does love her Ritani Stack!  Two weeks ago, McBride was seen walking the red carpet of the ACM Awards wearing her Ritani Stack.  More recently, McBride decided to accessorize again with her Ritani Stack while walking the red carpet and performing at the Lionel Richie and Friends Concert at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, presented by the ACM.  Martina kicked off the show with a performance of the song “Still.”

When Jessica and Bo met in 2010, it was magic from the very beginning. Jessica was swept off her feet by this handsome military man, while Bo could barely wait to see her again. The romance was blossoming, however Bo was set to deploy shortly and would be going to Afghanistan. Determined not to let this get in the way, Bo and Jessica made it clear how they felt towards one another.

Shortly before he was deployed in August of 2011, Bo proposed to Jessica with her grandmother’s ring. He also vowed to provide her with the ring a girl like her deserved when he returned.

In October  2011, this opportunity came when Ritani partnered with Operation Homefront and ran the “Reward Romance” contest on our Facebook page. The contest gave military couples the chance to win the ring of their dreams. After the finalists were selected, fans picked their favorite story and it was decided that Jessica would be getting the ring she deserved even sooner than the couple had hoped for!

When we heard that Bo was returning from Afghanistan on March 30^th, we decided to head out to Columbus, Ohio and surprise Jessica with not only the ring of her dreams, but the proposal to go along with it!

Congratulations Jessica and Bo!

For more pictures from the beautiful proposal, click here!

1. Find a special event: This can be wedding related, but it’s really up to you. If you want to stick with the wedding theme, one option is to look up bridal fairs in your area. While this may garner a few unwanted solicitations, there are typically a number of opportunities to enter contests to win anything from free tuxes to honeymoons.

2. Plan a day trip: Take a Saturday to explore a nearby city or town. Getting to know a new place is always fun and it may even be beneficial to your wedding planning process. You may also find a new favorite restaurant or store.

3. Throw a wedding video party: I must admit I was a bit skeptical of this one at first, but it actually can be quite useful. Invite newlywed couples over to watch highlights from their wedding videos. Get ideas as couples share stories from their days.

4. Do something neither of you have done before: This should be an activity you’ve never tried, but both think would be interesting. At this point in your life it’s all about firsts together so why not make the most of that?

Do you have any great date night ideas for engaged couples? Share them with us in the comments below!

There was a red carpet sighting of Ritani at last week’s ACM Awards!  Not only did singer, Sara Evans, wear a pair of Ritani Masterwork earrings, but Martina McBride wore her very own Ritani Stack.  McBride chose her stack of five bands before the show and donned them all on the red carpet.  Although the bands were a blend of platinum, white diamonds and black diamonds, they all perfectly complimented her neutral and pink sparkling dress.

McBride will also be seen wearing her Ritani Stack during the two-hour musical tribute to Lionel Richie called “ACM Presents: Lionel Richie and Friends – In Concert”, Friday, April 13th, 9 ET/PT on CBS.”  What do you think of Martina’s Stack?